AU Campaign Mission for ECOSOCC Elections Proceeds to Zimbabwe

Harare, Zimbabwe, 14 August 2014 – The African Union sensitization and Motivation Campaign Mission for elections into the 2nd General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Thursday, 14 August 2014, after concluding the 1st leg of its mission in Lusaka, Zambia.

The composition of the mission includes Amb. Lazarous Kapambwe, the Special Advisor to the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr. Jinmi Adisa, Director, Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO), and experts from other relevant departments of the AU Commission. Its mandate is to invite, encourage and mobilize the African civil society community in Zimbabwe to enlist and participate actively in ECOSOCC elections and subsequent activities of the Organ.

As part of this process, a sensitization meeting with Zimbabwe CSOs will be held on 15 August 2014 in the Conference Room of the Holiday Inn, Samora Avenue, Harare. Moreover, the mission will meet with several civil society groups, government officials and others to brief them on the history, role, functions and activities of ECOSOCC and the African Union in general.

The mission will then proceed to Namibia and Lesotho. It is pertinent to note that the Sensitization and Motivation campaign is being conducted throughout the five regions of the continent in Member States that do not have sufficient eligible candidates for ECOSOCC Elections.

The sensitization program has two components. First, AU Regional Office where available will conduct the exercise in their country of location. Field missions directed from AU Headquarters will cover the other countries. Field missions will be carried out in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Togo, Senegal, Cape Verde, Benin, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Eritrea, Seychelles, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritania, Tunisia, and Sierra Leone.

The deployment of these campaign missions comes in compliance with Decisions EX.CL/Dec.849 (XXV), adopted by the 23rd Ordinary Session the AU Assembly, held in Malabo, Equatorial, Equatorial Guinea, regarding the process of ECOSOCC Elections.

The Decision directed the AU Commission to conduct sensitization and mobilization campaign to encourage greater participation so as to obtain a sufficient number of candidates for the elections. It also requested the Commission to ensure that elections into the 2nd General Assembly of ECOSOCC was finalized before the end of the year 2014.

For any further information please contact :

Ms. Afrah Thabit, Directorate of Information and Communication, E mail : Thabitma@africa-union.org, afraht@hotmail.com

For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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